The Grey Cup

 

 

The Grey Cup trophy, a symbol of Canadian football supremacy, was originally an amateur award, destined to be presented to the senior hockey Champions of Canada. However, after Sir H. Montague Allan offered the Allan Cup for hockey competition, His Excellency Lord Albert Henry Earl Grey, the Governor General of Canada, donated the Grey Cup in 1909, and was destined to be awarded to the team winning the Senior Amateur Football Championship of Canada.

The first Grey Cup game pitted the University of Toronto against Parkdale at Varsity Stadium in Toronto in front of 3,807 football fans in 1909. The Grey Cup was presented by his excellency Lord Grey to the team representing the University of Toronto, who won the game by a score of 26 - 6. The U of T team would go on to win the Cup the next two years and again in 1920, following a three-year hiatus as a result of the First World War.

The Grey Cup Game would again be affected by world unrest in 1940, as it took two games over two weekends, held on November 30 in Toronto and December 7 in Ottawa, to crown the team from Ottawa the Grey Cup Champions.

As some amateur football organizations became more professional, the Intercollegiate Union felt that it was at a disadvantage and ceased to challenge for the Cup. In both the West and the East the Inter-provincial Football Unions became the strongest organized football associations, and eventually evolved into the Western and Eastern divisions of the Canadian Football League. Since 1954, only teams in the CFL have competed for the trophy.

In 1962, Winnipeg needed two days to defeat Hamilton, as the game was halted by fog and the remaining time played on the next day in Toronto.

Unlike the NFL's Vince Lombardi trophy, the Grey Cup has survived the test of time, passed annually to new champions, while celebrating former legends by listing each winning player on its base, which was added to the original trophy in 1987.

Since the inception of the trophy a team from Toronto has won it on 21 occasions, while Hamilton won it 15 times, Edmonton 11 times including a record five times consecutively in the 1980s. Winnipeg has brought home the trophy 10 times, Ottawa nine, and Montreal six. The Calgary Stampeders have won it four times, while the B.C. Lions have won it three occasions. The Queens University Golden Gaels won the Grey Cup in three consecutive years in the 1920s, while a team from Sarnia, Ontario, and the Saskatchewan Roughriders has won the CFL Championship on two occasions. The Baltimore Stallions were the first and only U.S. based team to win the Canadian Football League Championship.

*The Grey Cup has been stolen several times, supposedly thrown in a lake and passed around many Baltimore homes after the Stallions brought the Grey back to the USA in 1995!

 

 

Baltimore Stallions premier running back , Mike Pringle, hoist's the Grey Cup at the Championship celebration at Baltimore's Inner Harbor.

 

 

Grey Cup's history of mishaps

By Dan Ralph - Canadian Press

It has been lost, forgotten, stolen, even held for ransom. Such is the colourful 90-year history of the Grey Cup.

The cup wasn't supposed to honour a football champion. The original plan called for it to be awarded annually to Canada's top senior hockey team, but Sir Montague Allan beat Earl Grey to the punch, issuing the Allan Cup. So Grey donated his trophy to recognize the Canadian rugby football winner. 

Wally Buono and the Calgary Stampeders nearly added another wacky chapter to the Grey Cup's history in 1998. Hours after capturing the CFL championship trophy with a wild 26-24 win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, the Stampeders almost left Winnipeg without the hallowed cup, which is valued at $53,000. 

The Stampeders had returned to their hotel for a reception after the game. They later headed to the airport for their chartered flight home, only to realize the trophy had been left at the hotel. 

As panic set in, salvation arrived in the form of the trophy, which someone had placed on a bus headed to the airport. 

"There were so many people getting their picture taken with it (at the reception), so I left early to get the buses organized, assuming someone else would take care of it," Buono, who had signed for the cup on the club's behalf, said at the time. "All of a sudden, we don't know where it's at. 

"Fortunately, when the third bus came, someone was smart enough to have put it on. It was a big relief." 

The cup is insured, but whoever signs for it is responsible for its safe-keeping. If it is lost or irreparably damaged, that person is on the hook for its replacement value. 

But the Stampeders' faux pas wasn't the first time the cup had been forgotten. 

In 1964, the B.C. Lions sent someone back to their hotel to retrieve the cup after arriving at the airport empty-handed. And in 1984, hours after a team celebration, former Bombers general manager Paul Robson sheepishly returned to an empty Winnipeg Arena to find the trophy sitting on a table at centre ice. 

Indianapolis Colts kicker Mike Vanderjagt lost the cup in November 1997. Vanderjagt, who helped the Toronto Argonauts win consecutive CFL titles in 1996 and '97, took it to a bar in his native Oakville, where it was stolen. 

Early the next morning, a college student who had reportedly joked she'd give $100 to have the cup in her apartment found it in her kitchen. Police were called and the trophy was returned to a relieved Vanderjagt. 

It was also stolen in 1969 from Ottawa's Lansdowne Park and held for ransom. When the CFL balked, Toronto police found the cup in a hotel locker. 

Other incidents: 

 

How about these memorable as some of these Grey Cups?

 

20-11-2000


Grey Cup Champions
Year

Cup Final
1909 Univ. of Toronto 26, Toronto Parkdale 6
1910 Univ. of Toronto 16, Hamilton Tigers 7
1911 Univ. of Toronto 14, Toronto Argonauts 7
1912 Hamilton Alerts 11, Toronto Argonauts 4
1913 Hamilton Tigers 44, Toronto Parkdale 2
1914 Toronto Argonauts 14, Univ. of Toronto 2
1915 Hamilton Tigers 13, Toronto Rowing 7
1916-19   Not held (WWI)
1920 Univ. of Toronto 16, Toronto Argonauts 3
1921 Toronto Argonauts 23, Edmonton Eskimos 0
1922 Queens Univ. 13, Edmonton Elks 1
1923 Queens Univ. 54, Regina Roughriders 0
1924 Queens Univ. 11, Toronto Balmy Beach 3
1925 Ottawa Senators 24, Winnipeg Tigers 1
1926 Ottawa Senators 10, Univ. of Toronto 7
1927 Toronto Balmy Beach 9, Hamilton Tigers 6
1928 Hamilton Tigers 30, Regina Roughriders 0
1929 Hamilton Tigers 14, Regina Roughriders 3
1930 Toronto Balmy Beach 11, Regina Roughriders 6
1931 Montreal AAA 22, Regina Roughriders 0
1932 Hamilton Tigers 25, Regina Roughriders 6
1933 Toronto Argonauts 4, Sarnia Imperials 3
1934 Sarnia Imperials 20, Regina Roughriders 12
1935 Winnipeg 'Pegs 18, Hamilton Tigers 12
1936 Sarnia Imperials 26, Ottawa Rough Riders 20
1937 Toronto Argonauts 4, Winnipeg Blue Bombers 3
1938 Toronto Argonauts 30, Winnipeg Blue Bombers 7
1939 Winnipeg Blue Bombers 8, Ottawa Rough Riders 7
1940 Gm 1: Ottawa Rough Riders 8, Toronto B-Beach 2
  Gm 2: Ottawa Rough Riders 12, Toronto B-Beach 5
1941 Winnipeg Blue Bombers 18, Ottawa Rough Riders 16
1942 Toronto RACF 8, Winnipeg RACF 5
1943 Hamilton Wildcats 23, Winnipeg RACF 14
1944 Montreal HMCS 7, Hamilton Wildcats 6
1945 Toronto Argonauts 35, Winnipeg Blue Bombers 0
1946 Toronto Argonauts 28, Winnipeg Blue Bombers 6
1947 Toronto Argonauts 10, Winnipeg Blue Bombers 9
1948 Calgary Stampeders 12, Ottawa Rough Riders 7
1949 Montreal Alouettes 28, Calgary Stampeders 15
1950 Toronto Argonauts 13, Winnipeg Blue Bombers 0
1951 Ottawa Rough Riders 21, Saskatch. Roughriders 14
1952 Toronto Argonauts 21, Edmonton Eskimos 11
1953 Hamilton Tiger-Cats 12, Winnipeg Blue Bombers 6
Year Winner Head Coach Score Loser Head Coach Site
1954 Edmonton Frank (Pop) Ivy 26-25 Montreal Doug Walker Toronto
1955 Edmonton Frank (Pop) Ivy 34-19 Montreal Doug Walker Vancouver
1956 Edmonton Frank (Pop) Ivy 50-27 Montreal Doug Walker Toronto
1957 Hamilton Jim Trimble 32-7 Winnipeg Bud Grant Toronto
1958 Winnipeg Bud Grant 35-28 Hamilton Jim Trimble Vancouver
1959 Winnipeg Bud Grant 21-7 Hamilton Jim Trimble Toronto
1960 Ottawa Frank Clair 16-6 Edmonton Eagle Keys Vancouver
1961 Winnipeg Bud Grant 21-14 (OT) Hamilton Jim Trimble Toronto
1962 Winnipeg Bud Grant 28-27* Hamilton Jim Trimble Toronto
1963 Hamilton Ralph Sazio 21-10 B.C. Lions Dave Skrien Vancouver
1964 B.C. Lions Dave Skrien 34-24 Hamilton Ralph Sazio Toronto
1965 Hamilton Ralph Sazio 22-16 Winnipeg Bud Grant Toronto
1966 Saskatchewan Eagle Keys 29-14 Ottawa Frank Clair Vancouver
1967 Hamilton Ralph Sazio 24-1 Saskatchewan Eagle Keys Ottawa
1968 Ottawa Frank Clair 24-21 Calgary Jerry Williams Toronto
1969 Ottawa Frank Clair 29-11 Saskatchewan Eagle Keys Montreal
1970 Montreal Sam Etcheverry 23-10 Calgary Jim Duncan Toronto
1971 Calgary Jim Duncan 14-11 Toronto Leo Cahill Vancouver
1972 Hamilton Jerry Williams 13-10 Saskatchewan Dave Skrien Hamilton
1973 Ottawa Jack Gotta 22-18 Edmonton Ray Jauch Toronto
1974 Montreal Marv Levy 20-7 Edmonton Ray Jauch Vancouver
1975 Edmonton Ray Jauch 9-8 Montreal Marv Levy Calgary
1976 Ottawa George Brancato 23-20 Saskatchewan John Payne Toronto
1977 Montreal Marv Levy 41-6 Edmonton Hugh Campbell Montreal
1978 Edmonton Hugh Campbell 20-13 Montreal Joe Scannella Toronto
1979 Edmonton Hugh Campbell 17-9 Montreal Joe Scannella Montreal
1980 Edmonton Hugh Campbell 48-10 Hamilton John Payne Toronto
1981 Edmonton Hugh Campbell 26-23 Ottawa George Brancato Montreal
1982 Edmonton Hugh Campbell 32-16 Toronto Bob O'Billovich Toronto
1983 Toronto Bob O'Billovich 18-17 B.C. Lions Don Matthews Vancouver
1984 Winnipeg Cal Murphy 47-17 Hamilton Al Bruno Edmonton
1985 B.C. Lions Don Matthews 37-24 Hamilton Al Bruno Montreal
1986 Hamilton Al Bruno 39-15 Edmonton Jack Parker Vancouver
1987 Edmonton Joe Faragalli 38-36 Toronto Bob O'Billovich Vancouver
1988 Winnipeg Mike Riley 22-21 B.C. Lions Larry Donovan Ottawa
1989 Saskatchewan John Gregory 43-40 Hamilton Al Bruno Toronto
1990 Winnipeg Mike Riley 50-11 Edmonton Joe Faragalli Vancouver
1991 Toronto Adam Rita 36-21 Calgary Wally Buono Winnipeg
1992 Calgary Wally Buono 24-10 Winnipeg Urban Bowman Toronto
1993 Edmonton Ron Lancaster 33-23 Winnipeg Cal Murphy Calgary
1994 B.C. Lions Dave Ritchie 26-23 Baltimore Don Matthews Vancouver
1995 Baltimore Don Matthews 37-20 Calgary Wally Buono Regina
1996 Toronto Don Matthews 43-37 Edmonton Ron Lancaster Hamilton
1997 Toronto Don Matthews 47-23 Saskatchewan Jim Daley Edmonton
1998 Calgary Wally Buono 26-24 Hamilton Ron Lancaster Winnipeg
1999 Hamilton Ron Lancaster 32-21 Calgary Wally Buono Vancouver
2000 B.C. Lions Steve Buratto 28-26 Montreal Charlie Taaffe Calgary
2001 Calgary Wally Buono 27-19 Winnepeg Dave Ritchie Montreal
2002 Montreal Don Mathews 26-16 Edmonton Tom Higgins Edmonton
2003 Edmonton Tom Higgins 34-22 Montreal Don Mathews